President Joe Biden said Tuesday he’ll push the subsequent U.S. Congress to codify the abortion rights protections outlined in Roe v. Wade if Democrats keep control of the legislature.
Biden made the promise during a speech hosted by the Democratic National Committee on Tuesday afternoon in Washington, DC.
“Your right to decide on rests with you,” Biden said. “In case you do your part and vote, Democratic leaders of Congress, I promise you, we’ll do our part. I’ll do my part. And along with your support, I’ll sign a law codifying Roe in January.”
The president vowed if more Democratic senators are elected and his party keeps the House within the upcoming midterm elections, the primary laws he’ll send would enshrine abortion rights protections. Biden goals to sign the bill into law near the fiftieth anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, which is Jan. 22 of next 12 months.
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on abortion rights in a speech hosted by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on the Howard Theatre in Washington, October 18, 2022.
Leah Millis | Reuters
Abortion has grow to be a critical issue for voters after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned the protections of Roe earlier this 12 months, sending the problem back to the states. Since then, greater than a dozen Republican-led states — most of which don’t allow for exceptions for rape or incest — have effectively banned abortions.
Biden’s announcement comes exactly three weeks from Election Day, when voters will resolve which party controls each chambers of Congress. Republicans are favored to win the House, an final result that will make all of it but unimaginable to pass a bill to codify abortion rights.
Democrats, who control each chambers of Congress, tried to approve laws to enshrine Roe into law this 12 months. Republicans denied Democrats — who hold 50 seats within the Senate — the 60 votes needed to beat a filibuster within the chamber.
Many outstanding Democrats have called to avoid the filibuster to guard abortion rights with an easy majority vote, but at the very least two members of the party — Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona — have said they oppose the move. Biden earlier this 12 months promised to codify the Roe decision if two more Democrats got elected to the Senate.
The Supreme Court ruling sent the problem of abortion back to the state level, but some Republicans need to further restrict access nationally. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., proposed a national abortion ban that will include the penalty of jail time for doctors who perform them.
“If Republicans get their way with the national ban, it won’t matter where you reside in America,” Biden said. “So let me be very clear, if such a bill were to pass in the subsequent several years, I’ll veto it.”
